topic Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines in Community Chat

Our Library No Longer Has Fines

Sooner — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 21:40:11 GMT

No more fines. Does your library have them? I find this puzzling.

I figure soon they will have no books. . .

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

kaydee50 — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 21:45:31 GMT

We got rid of the fines more than a year ago and, IMO, it is a mistake.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

stevieb — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 22:57:37 GMT

Mine still has them. I've only been fined once and it rankles, because it was during the phase of the pandemic when the library was closed and everyone was asked to hold onto all books. This actually went on for months. Then, all books were suddenly due back in by a certain date and I dutifully returned them, except one that after many months I'd forgotten about. I thought they'd probably just send a reminder and waive the fine, but nope, they wanted their money. Maybe I should have charged them 'rent' for holding onto their books.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

chickenbutt — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 22:13:08 GMT

So people can just check out books and don't have to bother to return them?

What am I missing? That doesn't compute in my head.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

Marp — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 22:13:43 GMT

Local news reported this tonight. No fines but if books are more than 45 days overdue they will be considered lost and the borrower will be charged the full price of the book.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

chickenbutt — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 22:16:25 GMT

@Marp wrote:
Local news reported this tonight. No fines but if books are more than 45 days overdue they will be considered lost and the borrower will be charged the full price of the book.

Ah, I see. That pretty much makes sense, assuming they have a way to get that money. I haven't been to a library in ages so I assume this means that they have a credit card for borrowers on file.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

tansy — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 22:22:06 GMT

Another big plus for borrowing ebooks. I get an email warning me that the book is due back in three days and then...whoosh...it's gone.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

teganslaw — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 22:35:02 GMT

One can't get late charges borrowing an E-book. I have three weeks to read it, and the book automatically is returned to the library on the due date. I usually return it as soon as I'm done reading.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

Sooner — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 23:01:25 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
So people can just check out books and don't have to bother to return them?

What am I missing? That doesn't compute in my head.

@chickenbutt Well, no fines, no fault, so I guess that's right. That's what my brain computed as the answer. We don't want to punish people with low income, she said. I'm thinking we aren't if they bring books back. . .

It's a no-fault world we live in. Except for those of us who foot the library funding I guess. Taxpayers.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

Sooner — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 23:03:04 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
@Marp wrote:
Local news reported this tonight. No fines but if books are more than 45 days overdue they will be considered lost and the borrower will be charged the full price of the book.

Ah, I see. That pretty much makes sense, assuming they have a way to get that money. I haven't been to a library in ages so I assume this means that they have a credit card for borrowers on file.

That would make sense.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

PinkyPetunia — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 23:03:29 GMT

My library did away with fines too. You are given 2 renewals usually, and the library automatically applies them, but I get an email notifying me, so it's a reminder to keep tabs on the book. I like the system.

If your items are not returned after a certain time period you are charged a replacement amount against your library card.. The library card is suspended till the fees are paid. There is no credit card on file.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

suzyQ3 — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 23:44:38 GMT

@PinkyPetunia wrote:
My library did away with fines too. You are given 2 renewals usually, and the library automatically applies them, but I get an email notifying me, so it's a reminder to keep tabs on the book. I like the system.

If your items are not returned after a certain time period you are charged a replacement amount against your library card.. The library card is suspended till the fees are paid. There is no credit card on file.

That seems reasonable, @PinkyPetunia, So maybe this isn't some huge attack on our culture. :-)

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

Kachina624 — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 00:08:10 GMT

Maybe it's a new philosophy in keeping with giveaways for everybody. Pretty soon they'll just invite people to take books and keep them as long as they wish. It might offend somebody to have to return it.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

proudlyfromNJ — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 02:52:49 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
Maybe it's a new philosophy in keeping with giveaways for everybody. Pretty soon they'll just invite people to take books and keep them as long as they wish. It might offend somebody to have to return it.

@Kachina624 Good one. Actually the only people I hear about getting offended are posters on here. Check out the Brittany thread.

Our library still has fines. Have to as we are building a new one. We need a bigger one. Hope it doesn't take to long.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

millieshops — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:19:04 GMT

@Sooner I wonder how much money is really involved now that so much of library use has gone to online reading or computer use.

Even though I still prefer to read from actual print, the bulk of my library reading is virtual. No fines involved.

I haven't paid a fine in so long that I don't know what either of the 2 libraries I use does about fines, but I do know last time I paid one, the record keeping required a human being to assess and record that fine which was quite likely not much money. Maybe not fining for bits of money actually saves a bit rather than costing??

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

Sooner — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 16:01:57 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
@Sooner I wonder how much money is really involved now that so much of library use has gone to online reading or computer use.

Even though I still prefer to read from actual print, the bulk of my library reading is virtual. No fines involved.

I haven't paid a fine in so long that I don't know what either of the 2 libraries I use does about fines, but I do know last time I paid one, the record keeping required a human being to assess and record that fine which was quite likely not much money. Maybe not fining for bits of money actually saves a bit rather than costing??

@millieshops It isn't about the money, it is about personal responsibility. Why shouldn't people get books back on time? Fines are minimal.

It seems we are going to a free-for-all society with less and less personal responsibility. Library fines are a wonderful way to teach children responsibility, lessons about money and value, and the satisfaction of doing something you should do to respect others who want to read the book. It is about what public money does, and how we have these service.

I see no greater glory in no fines. It's not like people are going to the big house over them anyway.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

ciao_bella — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 16:24:57 GMT

I haven't been to the library since the pandemic started, but the library I go to has a reciprocal agreement with other neighboring town's libraries. If a book you want isn't located in your township's library, it's borrowed from another township and delivered to your township's library.

However, I ran into a problem at my township's library. I returned the 'borrowed' book from the other township's library to my township's library as per the rules. The library was fairly busy so it's customary to leave your returned books on a cart near the front desk, which is what I did. A week or so later, I received notification the book was not returned. I told the librarian I had returned it and what day it was and that I put the book on the cart where other returned books were stacked.

After several days of them looking for the book and not finding it, I was required to pay for the book. It cost me around $25. So, no more book borrowing for me unless I make sure the librarian actually scans that I returned a book.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

CelticCrafter — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 16:33:22 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
@Marp wrote:
Local news reported this tonight. No fines but if books are more than 45 days overdue they will be considered lost and the borrower will be charged the full price of the book.

Ah, I see. That pretty much makes sense, assuming they have a way to get that money. I haven't been to a library in ages so I assume this means that they have a credit card for borrowers on file.

I doubt they have a credit card on file. I know ours doesn't.

What they probably end up doing turn it over to a collection agency.

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

walkingal — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 22:56:38 GMT

@Sooner My county public library recently announced the no-fine policy too. I asked the same question -- one day there will be no books left in the library? What's the sense then for anybody to check out books anymore?

Re: Our Library No Longer Has Fines

Beth-QVC — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 23:15:58 GMT

political